The federal government shut down on Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass appropriations legislation for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. While there have been several votes on different versions of a continuing resolution (CR) that would reopen the government in the Senate since that date, none have been able to get the votes necessary to pass as Democrats and Republicans clash over the inclusion of health care and other funding provisions. The House remains in recess as focus has largely been on Senate activity. Read below for more updates. 

• Agencies Release Shutdown Contingency Plans: The Department of Education (ED) released its contingency plan for the shutdown, which would result in the furlough of approximately 1,485 of its 1,700 employees. A limited staff of 215 individuals would be responsible for continuing essential functions like distributing student aid and managing existing grant funds. Read more about the plan here. The Department of Labor also has a Q and A on the shutdown here.   

• Trump Administration Begins New Wave of Layoffs at ED: On Oct. 10, the Trump Administration fired more than 460 employees from ED as part of a broader move to pressure Congress to end the government shutdown. The firings include nearly all employees who administer special education funding as well as those in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. 

• Senate Confirms New Leaders at ED: On Oct. 7, the Senate voted to confirm Kimberly Richey as the next Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at ED. In addition to Richey, the Senate confirmed other Education and Labor Department nominees as part of a resolution that approved over 100 federal nominees at once, including Kristen Baesler from North Dakota as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education, overseeing federal K-12 functions, and David Barker from Iowa as assistant secondary of postsecondary education. You can read the full list of nominations here.  

• Federal Judge Dismisses Case Against Gainful Employment: On Oct. 2, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from a group of cosmetology schools against President Biden’s gainful employment rule. The schools argued that the rule would unfairly penalize cosmetology programs because ED does not accurately capture the salaries of cosmetology graduates. This has implications for data collection, reporting and accountability for CTE certificate programs at public area CTE centers and community and technical colleges as well.  

• Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign Compact: On Oct. 1, the Trump Administration asked several elite universities to sign an agreement to ensure access to federal research funds. The agreement would require the universities to align themselves with several Administration priorities, including capping enrollment of international students and adopting stricter definitions of gender.  

• Trump Administration Withdraws Nominee to Lead the BLS: On Sept. 30, the Trump Administration withdrew the nomination of E.J. Antoni—Chief Economist at the Heritage Foundation—to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This follows the firing of the previous BLS commissioner in August. A new nominee is expected to be announced soon. 

• DOL Awards Over $86 Million to Support Skills Training Programs: On Sept. 30, the Labor Department awarded over $86 million to 14 states to support skills training programs in high-demand industries. The funding will be primarily used to address skilled trades needs such as AI, advanced manufacturing, shipbuilding and welding. 

• FCC Ends E-rate Support for Wi-Fi Hotspots in School Buses, Libraries: On Sept. 30, the Federal Communications Commission voted to reverse Biden-era expansions of the E-rate Program that allowed schools and libraries to utilize E-rate funds to pay for Wi-Fi hotspots in school buses and libraries. Several education organizations have released statements opposing the move. 

• Appeals Court Rules that ED Can Fire Civil Rights Staff: On Sept. 29, a federal appeals court ruled that ED may proceed with a reduction-in-force at the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), overturning a previous court ruling that mandated the Department to rehire OCR staffers fired earlier this year. The ruling comes at a time when OCR is facing scrutiny over its growing backlog of cases.